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French Social Theory, an extraordinarily accomplished book provides a peerless account of the French tradition. French Social Theory provides a systematic account of French social theory from the aftermath of the French Revolution (St Simon, Bazard and Comte) to the contemporary scene dominated by Kristeva, Deleuze, Bourdieu and Baudrillard; divides French social theory into three logically coherent cycles: 1800-80 (Positivist); 1880-1940 (Anthropological); 1940-2000 (Marxist); French Social Theory provides a detailed guide to the three phases of postwar French social theory - existential, str

[This book] provides a strong critique of the flaws in the field, developing a sustained argument for a revitalization of sociological theory as an academic discipline. The 1980s and 1990s witnessed the 'cultural turn' - a postmodern rejection of disciplinary knowledge in pursuit of the examination of culture - but here [the author] argues for a 'return' to a sociological theory and method that will facilitate worthwhile social knowledge. Comprehensive and ambitious, the book fuses theory and empirical matter, resulting in a compelling new contribution to the theoretical development of sociology and related disciplines. Drawing on the work of theorists such as Giddens, Mouzelis, Archer and Layder, and on a wide range of readings in contemporary social theory, [the author] explores unresolved controversies and ambiguities in today's sociological theorizing; critically examines four longstanding modes of social scientific thought - reductionism, essentialism, reification and functional teleology; develops a set of post-postmodern postulates and meta-concepts as resources for a multi-dimensional, multi-level (meta) theoretical and methodological framework. This book will interest academics and advanced students of sociology, social theory, social geography and political science.-Back cover

Cover -- Half-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- 1 Introduction: societies as subjects for science -- What are societies made of? -- The dimensions of social structure -- Roles and systacts -- Mobility of persons and roles -- Competitive selection and social evolution -- Inter-societal comparisons and principles of taxonomy -- Conclusion -- 2 Social relations -- The range of variation -- Standard roles and routine careers -- Functional differentiation and the accretion of power -- Ranks, distances and barriers -- Systactic identity and collective consciousness -- Pervasive roles and central institutions -- Conclusion -- 3 Social structure -- Stability and dissent -- Reproduction, polarization and compression -- Systactic patterns and modes of the distribution of power -- Contradictions and constraints -- Functional alternatives (1) -- Functional alternatives (2) -- Functional alternatives (3) -- Inter-societal relations -- Conclusion -- 4 Social evolution -- Processes of change -- Regressions and catastrophes -- Dead-ends and turning-points -- Rebellions, reforms and revolutions -- Test cases (1) -- Test cases (2) -- Test cases (3) -- Hegemony and decline -- Conclusion -- List of references -- Index

This second of three volumes sets out a general account of the structure and evolution of human societies. The author argues first that societies are to be defined as sets of roles whose incumbents are competitors for access to, or control of, the means of production, persuasion and coercion; and second, that the process by which societies evolve is one of competitive selection of the practices by which roles are defined analagous, but not reducible, to natural selection. He illustrates and tests these theses with evidence drawn from the whole range of societies documented in the historical and ethnographic record. The result is an original, powerful and far-reaching reformulation of evolutionary sociological theory which will make it possible to do for the classification and analysis of societies what Darwin and his successors have done for the classification and analysis of species

While social theory and legal theory were once closely intertwined, contemporary American sociology pays scant attention to recent developments in legal theory. But the problems that legal theory currently wrestles with are very similar to those with which sociology is now centrally concerned. This essay reviews major schools of thought in contemporary legal theory to introduce sociologists to some potentially useful literatures on the meaning of rationality; on critical theory; on the importance of gender, race, and class in understanding social institutions; on the interpretive turn; on the relationship between structure and agency; and on the revival of pragmatism.

The distinction between understanding sight as a natural faculty - vision - and understanding it as an historical and social construct - visuality - has had significant impact in the visual arts. Not so in social theory where, notwithstanding the efforts of the classical theorists, the practical scientific necessity of privileging visuality over vision has been lost. The Visual in Social Theory argues that, because of its uncritical use of terms like modernity, postmodernity, globalisation, and the Third Way, contemporary social theory has become a participant in rather than a critic of 'promotional culture'. In short, in forgetting its past social theory has effectively forsaken its future. The Visual in Social Theory aims to restore the self-discipline and critical edge intrinsic to any analytical work on visuality. The book will be essential reading not only for those interested in contemporary debates around vision but a for broader readership concerned for the critical relevance of contemporary social theory